Moments of Approval
by faildentist
Summary: A well known Level 9 Alpha Hound is involved in a case of Tank Match Shooting. In a world where Specialists make a living from contracts like in Senshado or Panzerkraft, it's a harsh world for him to survive while nobody and no team trusts him. How will he gain trust of everyone in the Ooarai Team? How will he live after his contract is finished? Where will he go? Read for MORE!
1. Greetings From Ooarai

"It was never thought through in my career, that this would happen. Whom who realized your presence as a presence of the unwanted and ignorance, would likely to try to erase it from the surface of the earth.

I'm Abdy, a Level 3 Specialist of the Alpha Private Military Company, a.k.a an Alpha Hound. 'Specialst', is a calling for those who already got special trainings from private military academies, and qualified to fight like one. Our career started from the academy, when we were 12 or 13 years old, around Junior High School normally. There are lots of companies starting the 2017 that produce lots of Specialists, but of course Alpha Hounds are different, especially me."

The smell of sea, the sounds of waves, and the breeze of the ocean wind. All at once gave me a feel of sea sick in this boat's deck. Heading to the Ooarai School Ship, I can already see Her zooming in the horizon. Ah... Finally here. We were entering the Mobile Dock, and I got my back pack with me. There was this cute girl waiting for me. It's not like I'm deluting, but she was holding a banner with my name written on it. The bridge to dock was locked on, she was really hoping I was the guy. Wow, she must've been waiting for me.

I walked closer to her, and she suddenly asked, "Are you Abdy?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you for waiting, and sorry to be... late?" I answered.

"No, no. You weren't late! The President miss told me about your arrival time."

"Oh, ok." I then bowed, "Pleased to meet you. I am Abdy, Level 3 Alpha Hound."

"Ah, and I am Miho, Miho Nishizumi. Pleased to meet you too. May I take you to a tour now? Or perhaps we should wait for your belongings to be sent to your dorm room?" She asked kindly.

"No. I got it all here." I said while showing my back pack.

"Well then, we should get going." She said with a smile. I just gave her a nod and we head up to the surface of the Zuikaku model. Her skirt is a bit raised when we were climbing the stairs. I felt ashamed if I look at that bear(?) charachter on her behinds, so I just check out my phone.

"Say, Abdy-san, how does it feel to be in a girlss' school? I mean, you are Specialist but, you are still a boy." she asked starting the conversation.

"Oh. Just plain. Noting special."

"Oh, is that so? Ahaha..." She laughed awkwardly.

"But if you really want to know, now's not the time. I'll tell you all of it after I personally review it myself." I said trying to look cool.

"Well, you look like a serious person." She then said.

"Well said, Nishizumi. Well said."

But anyway, transferred here was rather embarassing, and such disgrace had a huge impact on me. But I'm here for the contract, so my dignity is well covered by money.

We then walked out of the dock, and head to the bus stop. We enter the bus and started the tour. In the bus, there were a couple of kids, one in glasses with twintails and one with a cute short hair. Two rows behind them, a girl was on a phone and talking to her boyfriend, and one other girl with a black hair sat behind her while eating a monster-sized rice ball. We sat on the back seat, and I know Nishizumi was trying to get some privacy.

We sat in silence, and I was checking out the view of the town. Quite pretty and modern if I could say. I was amazed that this was a former aircraft carrier back at the days. But I'm also curious about what is Nishizumi up too. And by that time, the bus driver stopped the bus, and we could see through the window, that a girl officer with one sided glasses guiding the bus towards detour. The bus driver then made an announcement. Her voice is rather mischievious in my ears.

"Too all passangers, we might have a detour. Please stay calm and enjoy the ride." She said in the speakers. I was confused, so I asked Nishizumi.

"Say, is this normal here, Nishizumi?"

"Ah! Well... Nothing out of the ordinary... I guess." she answered, or rather starteled by my voice. I then just nodded, and start to use my earphones. But it didn't stop there.

The bus entered a parking lot building, and we were heading to the dark. Now I felt suspicious. "Nishizumi, is this-... Normal?..."

*CLICK*

She pointed a Luger at me, and she looks serious. I don't want to do anything stupid, so I felt like I'll just follow the game. She told me to stand up and get out of the vehicle, and now I'm trapped in a dark parking lot. The people I mentioned riding the bus with us, driver included, were pointing guns at me. I'm amazed they were all holding German handguns, and they hid it well. The driver points out her driver cap, and pointed her gun outside the bus. I just sigh and got out, with a group of a special unit has waited for me. The driver(?), got out too, and threw an archive to me. I got it, and read it.

"Random Shooting at the Senshado Match" was the headline of the news paper inside it. "...5 members of the Kuromorimine Senshado Team, and 7 Members of the Chi-Ha-Tan Senshado Team were injured badly, and a judge officer were wounded during the task..." it said, on the date of 16 August 2018.

"You are Abdy, and were a Level 9 officer in the Alpha Company. You were dispatched from Level 9 to Level 3 at the specific date, 16 August 2018. The same as this news paper came out, and this news paper was released one day after the shooting incident. The shots were clean, and the woundeds will stay alive, but the culprit haven't been caught yet." The Driver said.

"And... What's it with me?" I asked.

"Was it too hard for a so called Level 9 to miss the shots of the targets?" she asked infront of my ears.

"Okay... This is weird, because I ain't getting what you are talking." I said.

"Stop playing stupid and confess, Officer Abdy. You were the specialist on the scene, and you were the one who shot those girls. We had access to your track record, and you are until now is suspected as the culprit by your own company. Several charges were threwn to your face but most of them flanks and now the company dispatched you to Level 3, for you have a bad reputation for yourself and your company."

I stayed in silence, and the whole group grew like so. I closed the archive, and gave it to the driver. I sighed, and walks towards thr human barrier that got guns.

"Stop where you are!" one of them said. I just stared at her, and I noticed that her finger weren't ready to shoot. I then took her hand, and pointed her gun to my chest, the left part to be exact.

"Stop me." I said, making her hands shaked. I then let her go, and walked out of the parking lot. I then fetched a cola and sat on a bench facing the sea.

It seems like that they stopped following me, but I know that they are waiting all around me, surrounding in silence.

Footsteps were heard from my right, it was Nishizumi's. She came unarmed this time. Sat on my side, and faced the sea together. We sat in silence once more for several minutes, and she started saying.

"We are sorry for the inconvinience, but we need to make sure, who you are. Because this is for us, and Senshado also." She said, and the wind blew harder.

"May I know, are you the culprit? Did you shot those innocent people in the match? Were you the one, who shot my friends in that match? Answer me! Please!"

I sighed, sip the last drop of my cola, and crush the can in my hand. I stood up, walked, and leans on the wall facing the sea, with the sunset in the horizon. Nishizumi followed me from behind, and still waiting for my answer.

"I, did not shoot, terorrize, or hurt any innocent people."

"Any alibi?" she asked.

"No."

"Then how can I believe you?"

"Because that's not my passion. I don't disobey the motto of the Alpha Hounds. And the motto was never said or written by words, but the motto was inside the people like those who got themselves hurt in such incidents, in you, in that bus driver, in the people's faith on us, and in our selves. And we may not hurt our motto to do our main job, which is doing our work in the darkness, to keep the light inside the heart of the people like you will shine as always."

The wind blews, and the round of deciding started. Her eyes are in fear and fury, the eyes of those who does not let her loved ones to be hurted.

"I..." She said. "...will let you go for now. But you must promise, if you really are not the culprit, you must proof it yourself, because I can't help you if you are actualy the culprit."

"How is it? Is it a deal?" she shoves her hand to me.

"Yea, sure."


	2. Insert text

Watching the sunset and feeling the breeze, me and Miho are still in an awkward way of talking, moreover after what happened at the bus. But in those awkward gesture she does, there were still untrusting feelings towards me. I just gave her those "yea yea I know" replies to every of her stories. She is an interesting person I think, she's also gave that impression of a cute girl trying to be more gentle. But I get that she was still uncomfortable with the situation, and I was getting tired either.

"Miho, I was thinking, it's probably best if we get home soon. It's getting late, you might get sick, no?" I said to her.

"Oh, yes. Maybe we should get home. But do you want to continue the tour first? There is an ice cream shop by that street. Or do you want to go to a restaurant?" She asked me.

"Well, if it is food then let's go."

She then smiled and got up. "Let's go!" she said, and showed me the apartment rooms where "coincidentally" our rooms were side by side. After I've put my stuffs down, she escorted me to a traditional Japanese restaurant next to the apartment. We went there and hoping to have a Japanese dinner together and get along but, guess what, the bus driver came in! Yes she came. And from what I've heard, she's Anzu Kadotani, the Student President of the Ooarai High School.

She brags in with two of her henchmens and sat infront of the kotatsu-like table. Shits got real when she ordered the 'sake', some traditional beer here I guess.

"Prez! Don't drink sake! You're not mature enough!" said the girl named Momo-something.

"It's fine! After all, 'sake' is just a code for juice!"

Momo sighed and reversed her view back to me. I don't know why exactly but, by the look in her eyes, we weren't getting along so good. I ordered the same 'sake' like Prez and being brought a grape juice. Meanwhile Prez got an orange juice. So I get that this thing is random, and quite interesting.

"Abdy, would you mind taking this sake with me to that private room. There's a lot to talk about with you." She suddenly said.

I then just take the sake with me to the private room which she already reserved. She sat there with a mischievious smile as she (maybe) always does, and ordered some Japanese snacks. I appreciate her politeness, and just eat what she served.

"So, what do you want to talk about with your Specialist, Ma'am?" I asked, earning a smile from her.

"Well, as always, welcome to the team, Officer! You are just in time for the matches of our life!" She said. It made me rather more pleased than pointed by a gun at the bus.

"But you know, our top priority is making sure you are not the culprit of the shooting." She continued.

"Here we go again..." I think to myself.

"Are you sure you are not the culprit? It looks SO clear to me. Since you have no alibi, and you got degraded by your company, I think it's best for you to confess."

I sat there with the door slightly open, and didn't realized that. And I think I went too much to finally express myself.

"I just got here from the court that charged me for doing nothing, and now I'm sitting here, with the person I believe the one who charged me and made me degraded in my career! So fuck you all, I'm just here for the contract. Have a good day, Ma'am!" I yelled and made the whole restaurant to stare at the door. I opened the door to have Nishizumi, Momo, and the other henchmen being surprised after listening to our conversation. I then just left them and went to my apartment room.

I went in, and threw myself on the couch. I opened my phone and played the playlist where I play when I'm sad (or depressed I guess (or just normal stressful stuffs idk)). The sounds of bass in every EDMs I heard always sounds so nice in my ears, the arps and plucks, and pumping basses made me feel better. The percussion sounds good too. Maybe it's the apartment room that made those door-knocking percussions sounds felt real. The vocal chops sounds like it was calling my name too...

Wait... I'm just deluting right?

"Abdy! Please open the door!" I heard Miho's voice calling my name while she knocked the door.

"Fuck she's at the door!" I ran to the door and touched the knop slightly, I realized she was probably just want to blame me more. But she's cute, so fuck it.

I opened the door, and there she was. She looked concerned while crossing her finger (no, not religious means. I'm not satan). She then held her skirts as she looked shy. I get the tension to say sorry now. I feel I regret to make her feel guilty like that.

"Uhm... I'm sorry about the incident in our tour..." She said.

"I wouldn't call that an incident." I ironically said.

"Ah... I mean... About our doings to you after you arrived. We are sorry too, that we did charged you for the incident at the match of those other schools. The idea was because of me. Because one of the victims is my sister..."

"Maho Nishizumi?"

"Yes... And... I regret that we were unconscious about our doings and went too far."

"Well I guess if reserving the street and a private room for my arrival wasn't too much, but charging with no evidence, that's what concerned me. Just pull of the charge for apology." I said a bit relived.

"About that..." Her eyes went to her corner.

"What?"

"We can't pull the charge." She said while rubbing her head.

"But why?!"

"Actualy, other schools are..."

"Charging me! Oh, how come I possibly forget that?! Of course other school are intervering... You guys won the tournament right? And Kuromorimine was the runner-up. Of course both of you had huge influence to other Sensha-do things."

"That's partly true."

"Not partly."

We stand there with exhausted aura from our eyes. I sighed and let her in.

"This ain't much but, at least I got H2O."

She sat next to the couch and lean on it. I opened my can of cola, and started to sip it. I sat at the door between the living room and the kitchen. She looks nervous, and wanted to say something. I got myself frustrated and ask her.

"You have problems with me or not? Speak up." I said.

"Ah... Well, you are still needed in the competition... So, do you like Tanks?"

I sighed, and put my cola. She seems dissapointed and scared.

"Yea, especially the Panzer IV and the Leopard. And probably Hetzer, BT-7, both Tiger, Mussolini's big guns that I don't know. Or probably Pattons slut tanks." #GaymerEpicKnowlegde101

"Wow..! You know much."

"Yea, I play games of it. Anyway, what's up with it?"

"Well, we were given a chance to buy a free unexpensive vihicle for you, and I just wonder what you would like." She said.

"Ok, now that's hot. What's the budget?"

"5 Million Yens..."

"Where we buying it?"

"Probably other school's second-handed, since that budget will also includes shells and supplies."

"Yea, I agree. Ok, when's the shoping?"

"Maybe the next day after tomorrow. Are you free?"

"Saturday? Yea I'm free for a date. Just call me for updates."


	3. Date at the Kuromorimine pt1

Saturday.

The sun's hot but not as hot as the girl standing in front of me. The serious and compassionate eyes, oblivious yet anger is shining from her cheeks, with her silver hair, glaring into the entire campus of Kuromorimine. The Vice Commander, rides the Tiger II, and favors the Maus since a child. It's the one, and only...

"I'm Erika Itsumi. Pleasure to meet you." She said, without pointing out her hand or whatsoever.

"Erika-san, I'm glad that you are free today! I hope you don't mind it if you take us on a little tour." Miho said, naively assuming Itsumi is 'actualy' free.

"HAAA?!! You think my time is specially occupied by YOU dillwits?! I was supposed to cook something for the Commander but-... AKH!! Forget about it... What do you want?" Erika spits fac-... Wait a minute... Commander?

"S-sorry then, ehehe... H-have to seen my Sis-... Commander Maho somehere?..." Miho then ask.

"She's at home, still recovering fron her injuries after that hell of a dreadful match! I'm sure even your 'friend herr knows her situation right, Commander of Ooarai?" Erika said while turing and walks away from us. We hippity-hop a bit to catch her up.

I see a slight discomfort and sadness from Miho. I can see that she shouldn't ask for Nishizumi Maho's situation. A quick recall, Maho Nishizumi was one of the victim of the shooting incident at the last match.

Erika isn's slowing down. As the Vice Commander of Kuromorimine Senshado Team, the eagerly walks with pride and not showing her weakness. What a-...

"UWAH SHI-..!!" She fell off by slipping on a banana peel. What a cliché slap-stick comedy.

"Ugh..." She moaned while holding the pain on her hips.

"Who puts this banana peel here?!!"

"*Fred Karno?" I said.

"Wha-... NO-.. AKH never-MIND!!"

She gets up and cleans the dust off her bums. Miho, in the other hand, picks up the banana peel and place it in the bin. How thoughtful right.

"Let's just continue!!" Erika then lead us once more to the huge set of garages from Kuromorimine. I can't wait for what I'm gonna get!

Will it be a Panther? A Tiger? A King Tiger?! OH! Maybe something smaller, like a Hetzer! Or maybe Sturmgeschutz? Or maybe a Panzer II or III? Or even a Panzer IV! I can't wait to see what's my battle vehicle is!

*POOF*

There goes my wild imagination, with the old, very old, scrappy, Panzer II, in a very, bad, dirty, crippled with poverty, and rust like never before.

"This, is what I get, FROM A 5 MILLION BUDGET?!!"

"Ahaha... I-I'm sorry... But the federation pressed the funding to 100.000 yens per specialist... Ahaha..." Miho, obliviously said.

"'Pressed'?! More like stomping the whole budget. Wait, where did the other 4.9 millions go?!"

"T-the Boko Museum...? Ahaha..."

I can only slap my forehead and carry on to breath normally again.

*Fred Karno is the pioneer of "slap-stick" comedy, jokes of slight violence and funny physical disorientation. One of the famous actor of slap-stick is Charlie Chaplin.


End file.
